, 1887-02-02
DIFFUSION EXPERIMENTS IN
DEMERARA.

AuC GA DCl itilCIlGS O110U ICSfO OCClA 0hS-
ell to be made during the present year on
the Pin. NonpGrieI, East Coast, in the
Diffusion process of extracting the juice
from the~Bagar cane have raised no small
amount of anticipatOry interest in planting
circles, not only IN the West Indies but
in saccharine districts very much further
afeld. Upon the result of the experiments
moMentOuS issues depend. Ii it can be
shown cOncluSively that the cane can be
made to give up it's juice without the use
of heavy iron rollers with their expensive
motive power, and that it is as easy and
convenient to work d cane sugar factory
with Diffusion machinery as IL beet sugar
one, the contest between the cane fields of
tropical lands and the beet fields of Europe
will hereafter be- conducted under condi-
tiOnS vastly more favourable to the former
than they have been. Up till now there
is q strong feeling OF unbelief amongst 10.
cal planters IN the possibility OF adopting
the new process to camel uice extraction;
and the experiments recently made III the
United States under the supervision Of
Professor Wiley, a famous expert, have
failed to convince the ScepticS, although
the success OF the experiments Is declared
to be beyond dispute. Perhaps the feeling
of logged doubt is maintained The more
AL ~ Uu dSCOuAO vi Tx AAhOcItAClIltti tIlCA
ratiops in the plant of ordinary machinery,
the change from mechanical extraction TO
diffusion would neces >itate, and the eX-
pense they would involve. Men, especial
~ in hard times, do not ~favourably regard
heavy expenditure of any kind, and least
of alt experimental expenditure; aud al.
though We have several instances in the
colony, ut the current time, OF estates ada.
ing the triple etfet and other elaborate
mOneysavlng apparatuSes to their machine
~, these are not to be regarded as proofs OF
our planters spirit OF enterprise III the
higher regions Ut chemiCal aud mechanical
research. he triple-eftet has proved it.
self the sugar. makers friend, aud its me-
rIls are forcing themselves into notice by
the elOquence of excellent returns; but at
one time it was regarded pretty much the
Same as the diffusion process ia now; an
inv entiOn possibly Of merit but OF too
uncertain II character to be- adopted until
more is known about ii. Ii there had been
~ Planters Association III the colony WOr-
thy Of the name, the triple effect would
have been introduced aud subjected to
practical experiment at the joint expense
of tue memDerlOOd, years ago; and the
advantages new being reaped from its
adoption would have been. reaped all the
6dEII6C. OuCu an dSSOCIdllOu HOulu dlSO
as a matter of course, have had the ditu-
sion process subjected to careful and thO.
rough experiment.; but the agricultural
interests OF the colony, like the mercan-
tile, are without d representative head,
and when experiments i'll whlCI the common
good is cOnccgned are made, it is through
lac public spirit and at the expense OF
some individual. That Mr.. HOgg should
be Lle first to give the diffusion process Il
thorough trial, occasions no surprise, his
reputation dis u fugle-mau in sugar-making
beng now well established. He has seen
enough in the best factories of Germany to
satisfy him that cane. planters ''dOn't know
everything;" ant he has arranged for the
erection OF the diffusion apparatus Oh Pin.
NOnparieL, where during the current year
the old cane roller will be placed on its
defence. To correct amy miSapprehenSiOn
regarding the date of the intended expert.
ments, that may have arisen from incor-
rect statements in the local press, we may
iufOrm our readers here and in other sugar
lands, that the main series of experiments
will not be entered upon until October, by
which time but not much, if at all, before
MIR. Hogg himself will be in the colony.
The machinery, which is being made at
Sapgerhansen, Germany, is almost ready,
and will be out here by the end of Februa-
ry., The plant is capable of dealing with
400 tons OF cane per day (of "a hours) and
this II. is exnactah will give 40 tons of